


Incandescent

by LadyoftheNight



Series: Hawke to Champion [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-05-20 07:46:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5997462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyoftheNight/pseuds/LadyoftheNight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After All That Remains, what does Hawke have left?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Incandescent

            The fire calls to her in a way she’d never believed was possible. Every flicker, every crack of the fading wood sings to her. She’s nothing more than this fire; she sees that now. It is truly shocking how much it took for her to realize what she is.

            She’s been building up a burn throughout her whole life. Protecting her family, hiding from Templars, it was slow. But the fall of Lothering threw kindling on her small flame, and she roared to life.

            Almost immediately, the world seemed determined to put her out. Every loss turned the heat just that much cooler. Carver to the darkspawn, Bethany to the Circle, and now her mother to a damned necromancer.

            The fire was almost out now. There was wood sitting nearby. It would be easy to toss another log in and prod the flickers back to dancing. But she found herself immobile in her chair, entranced to watch exactly what her fate seemed to be. If the room was growing colder, then that was just a reflection of what she was feeling inside. She was flickering out. Too many would be too happy to see it.

            Then there was someone there, interrupting her decay. He certainly wasn’t there to throw water on what was left.

            “Maker’s breath, Hawke. You’re going to freeze to death.” He knelt by the hearth, intent on bringing life back to it. He didn’t see the small, sad smile curving her lips upwards. Otherwise, she didn’t move. Not even to speak. She barely registered it when he changed the flame he was tending to.

            His hands were rubbing hers, trying to bring warmth, life back to them.

            “Aria.”

            She jerked her head slightly, her first real movement in hours.

            “Look at me, Aria. Please.”

            The devastation in his voice fanned something within her, so she did as he asked. Cold met warmth as her devastated icy eyes found his searching amber ones.

            “I’m so tired.” Her voice came out rough, rougher than she had ever heard it. Probably because she hadn’t spoken in hours.

            “I know, love, I know.” Suddenly, he was pulling her to her feet and away from the fire. She wished it well, knowing it would be gone soon enough.

 

            As Aria Hawke slipped off into what Anders hoped was a dreamless sleep, he knelt by the fireplace in her room and used a little magic to encourage the flames higher. She was cold, too cold, and he wouldn’t let her freeze. Even if it seemed like the rest of the world, her included sometimes, seemed determined to do just that.


End file.
